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(M m I 2 Sheets'Sheet T. STEINMANN. AIR SHIP.

No.501,111. PatentedJuly11,1 893.

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ATTORNEYS i NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TI-IEODOR STEINMANN, OF MARBURG, AUSTRIA-HUN GARY.

AIR-SHIP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,111, dated July 11,1893.

Application filed January 26, 1893. Serial No.469 927. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEODOR STEINMANN, asubject of the Emperor ofAustria-H ungary, residing at Marburg, Austria-Hungary, have invented anew and useful Rapid Governable Aerostat, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in air shipsand it conslsts essentially in the connection and arrangement, of thecar, the steering and supporting apparatus and also in the combinationand arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the air ship; Fig. 2 atop plan View of the same, the balloon being removed. Fig. 3 is anunderneath view of the propelling wings. 4 is a sectional view on theline E F of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal central section of the airship. Fig. 6 is a sectional View on line C D of Fig. 2, and Fig. 7 is arear view of the air ship, the balloon being removed.

The improved air ship consists essentially of the balloon G, the car H,the propelling or supporting wings f, f f f the air wheel or propeller Sand the rear steering apparatus or rudder J. The balloon G is filledwith the ordinary gas and is adapted to support about one half theweight of the entire ship. The balloon is preferably cigar-shaped beingpointed at both ends. The silk or other material of the balloon isinclosed in strengthening ribs 1, r of rattan or similar strong yetpliable material. These ribs r, 1 are placed vertically andlongitudinally around the balloon; the longitudinal ribs being securedat the ends in cones gg preferably of aluminum or other light metalwhich cones fit over the ends or points of the balloon. The fabric ofthe balloon may be of silk saturated with gutta-percha or other suitablegas proof material. Connected to the ribs '1' r and passing around theballoon in a diagonal or oblique direction are the supporting ropes orbands r r which are secured to the car H and attach the car H to theballoon. The frame of the car H is of wood and is by preference coveredwith sheets or plates of aluminum or other light metal. The generalshape of the car H is that of a box being longer longitudinally thantransversely.

In the front compartment G of the car is placed an engine or motorPconnected by suitable mechanism to the propeller or supporting wings f,f f f and to the air propeller or wheel S and adapted to operate thesame in the manner hereinafter described. In the compartment G is alsoplaced the boiler P, the Water tank P and a receptacle P for wood, coaland other firing material.

In the center of the car is a pilot house or compartment P from whichthe engine, boiler, &c., are controlled in the usual manner and by theusual means.

The smoke stack 19 is bent horizontally toward the rear of the car andabove the roof of the car. I

The weight of the machinery to propel the air ship should not exceed twohundred kilograms for four horse power engine.

The propelling and supporting wings f, f f f 4 have hearings in thesides of the car and have an up and down motion and being connected atthe inner ends by the crank rods lo, 70, to the pistons of the engine.The wingsf', f f f 4 are made preferably of thin sheets of aluminumplaced on a skeleton frame work to also of aluminum. The wings aretrapezoidal in shape and are conical near the ends as clearly shown inFigs. 4:, 6 and 7. By preference I construct the lower wings f 2 f 4about one-third smaller than the upper wings f f The air ship ispropelled forward by the propeller S placed in the front of theship. The

shafts of the propeller is rotated by crank shafts connecting the shaft8 with the piston To the rear of the propeller S and on the shaft 3thereof is keyed a fly Wheel 3' having ports or openings to permit ofthe free passage of the air all as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 4, 5-and 6.The rear steering apparatus consists of two rudders J J trapezoidalinshape and hinged to the rear frame work of the car. These rudders J, J,are supported on the circular rails 11 71 upon which the rudders arealso adapted to slide as shown in Fig. 2.

Beneath the car are placed suitable air cushions M, M, designed toelevate the car when it rests on the ground and thus allow f f 4 willequal about forty-two square meters the wings f, f f and f to operateand also to reduce the shock when the ship descends to the ground.

In the construction of my air ship I have found that the followingproportions of lifting and propelling power to the weight of the shipwill exist. Supposing the balloon contains three hundred and ninetycubic meters of gas, the displacement of air by the balloon will then befour hundred and eighty kilograms. As the gas in the balloon has aspecific weight, as compared to the air, of about one-fourteenth,thelifting power ofthe balloon will be about four hundred and forty-fivekilograms. The area covered by the wingsf', f

and one square centimeter of this area or surface will when the wingsare in motion support about thirteen grams, the total support of thewings being therefore about five hundred and fifty kilograms. Thelifting power of the wings and balloon combined will therefore be aboutnine hundred and ninety-five kilograms. The weight of the air shipincluding car, and motive power will be about six hundred and seventykilograms, the firing material, water, 850., about seventy kilograms andthe weight of three passengers about two hundred and ten kilogramsmaking a total weight of about nine hundred and fifty kilograms.Deducting this weight from the supporting power of the air ship inoperation there remains a lift ing power of forty-five kilograms whichis sufiicient for all practical purposes.

In operation the wings f, f f f are first operated through the rods 7.:70 by the pistons of the engine, the propeller S is then rotated on itsshaft and by means of said propeller and the rudders J J, the directionof the ship is determined and controlled.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an air ship, the combination of a balloon and its car, with aseries of wings pivoted to the sides of the car and adapted whenoperated to assist said balloon in supporting and elevating said car, ashaft extending through the car and carrying at its forward end a screwpropelling wheel adapted to propel said car, a fly wheel provided with aseries of openings and mounted on said shaft and means substantially asdescribed for operating said wings and said shaft simultaneously,substantially as described.

2. In an air ship, the combination of a balloon and its car, with aseries of Wings pivoted to the sides of the car and adapted whenoperated to assist said balloon in supporting and elevating said car, ashaft extending through the car and carrying at its forward end a screwpropelling wheel adapted when said shaft is rotated to propel said car,a fly wheel provided with a series of openings or air passages andmounted on said shafts, means substantially as described for operatingsimultaneously said wings and said shaft and with steering mechanismplaced at the rear of said car, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

THEODOR S'IEINMANN. \Vitnesses:

Moms GELBHAUS, A. SCHLESSING.

